HomeWe are proud of our faculty and the dediction each has to her students!
* Carlene Nazarian
Carlene has received numerous awards for her dancing and outstanding choreography throughout the Northeast. A 1978 recipient of the Elsa-Kemp’ Award, she was honored by the Dance Teachers Club of Boston for her talents as a teacher. With the “Sherry Gold Dancers” of Boston, and as a dance captain of the “Jazz Connection,” Carlene has performed professionally throughout New England. In 1984 she founded her own school, “The Dance Center of New England,” and her students received top honors regionally and nationally. She has experience as a judge in both modeling and dance competitions. Her students have performed in Walt Disney World, Florida and were the 1998 national dance champions at American Dance Awards, Arlington, VA. Her students continue to excel in all of the competitions they perform in.
* Tina Fosman
Tina has been a dance educator for over 20 years. She has always been acknowledged for her versatility and technical aspects in all genres of dance. She has taken most pride in the accomplishments of her students. They have gone on to lead very successful careers through the art of dance. Many of Tina’s students have gone on to dance in NYC, on cruise ships and in theme parks. Some of her students have also opened up their very own studios, so they too can share their love and passion for dance. Tina is looking forward to doing the same with many more and can’t wait to instill the love of dance to a new generation.
* Ashley Woitkun
Ashley has been dancing since age 3 with the Carlene Nazarian Dance Center. She continued her dance studies in Boston at the Jeanette Neill Dance Studio and Dance Complex. Ashley started teaching at CNDC in 2002, and has also done choreography work for Timberlane High School's cheerleading team and Central Catholic High School's dance team. She has taught master classes at UNH's Summer Dance Intensive in Durham as well as Hampstead Health & Fitness in Hampstead. She performed in artist, D.One's music video "The Wait is Over" in 2007 and has recently performed a hip hop piece with the Jeanette Neill Dance Studio in their repertory show "Moving Pictures". Ashley has taken technique and master classes in the area as well as New York City and continues her dance training to keep growing as a dancer and a teacher.
* Laura Nazarian
Laura danced at the Carlene Nazarian Dance Center from the age of 3 until graduating in 2006. She continued studying at the University of New Hampshire where she earned a minor in dance and was a member of the UNH Dance Company. Upon graduating, Laura relocated to southern California and continued training in the San Diego and Los Angeles areas. During her time in southern California, she trained at the Academy of Performing Arts San Diego, Culture Shock Dance Center San Diego, Edge Performing Arts Center, Movement Lifestyle, Music Learning Center, and Millennium Dance Center with a wide range of talent. Laura continues to train in the Boston area and currently teaches in New Hampshire where she strives to pay forward all that she has learned and spread a love for dance to all her students.
* Allyson Kachanian
Allyson Yennaco is a choreographer and dance educator with more than 18 years of teaching experience in all major forms of dance. Dancing since age three, she began assisting classes at 12 and
teaching at 16. After graduating high school, she moved to NYC to train with industry professionals at the Broadway Dance Center and studied the Zena Rommett Floor Barre Technique for corrective
body alignment and injury prevention at Broadway Dance Center and at STEPS on Broadway. Allyson is most influenced by her modern training under artists from the former Dance Space Center in
SoHo (currently known as Dance New Amsterdam) where she also studied anatomy and kinesthetic body awareness. Allyson successfully owned and operated Artistic Ballet and Creative Dance in
Hampstead, NH for 8 years before marrying her husband and raising their two daughters. She is currently on staff at Phantom Gymnastics in Hampstead, NH where she coaches dance and
choreographs competitive floor routines for NH State Champion gymnasts training in USAG Junior Olympic Program. Allyson is a graduate of the Dance Teachers Club of Boston Dance Education
Training Course, a member of American Alliance and New Hampshire Alliance for Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD and NHAHPERD), and the National Dance
Association (NDA). She was certified in Leap 'N Learn in 2012. Allyson continues her own dance training by attending classes in NY and Boston, as well as dance conventions and professional
educator seminars across the Northeast. Her creative ideas and choreographic style have earned numerous gold medals, overall high score awards, and special judges awards.
* Amanda Jones
Amanda is a choreographer, dancer, and artist living in Boston, MA. Her dance training began in her hometown of Salem, New Hampshire at the Carlene Nazarian Dance School. She earned a BA in
Dance Performance and US History from Keene State College. As a student at Keene State College, Amanda’s choreography was selected to be presented for adjudication at the American College
Dance Festival. Also at Keene, she had the opportunity to study under artists such as Monica Bill Barnes, Frances Nii. Yarti, Candice Salyers, Cathy Nicoli, Jodi Leigh Allen, William Seigh, and
Marcia Murdock. In 2013, she was honored to receive the Alta Lu Townes Memorial Dance Award for excellence in dance. She currently dances for Angie Moon Dance Theatre, and Andary Dance.
she has performed and presented work in New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts.
* Teri Derosiers-Lagace
Terri is a certified member of Dance Educators of America and a graduate of Dance Teachers' Club of Boston, Teacher education Training School. She is also an adjudicator for regional and national competitions. Terri was the owner and artistic director of the Salem Dance Network, 1992-2017. She is an award-winning choreographer and master teacher throughout New England, coaching young pre-professional students and teachers. Several of Teri's students have been recipients of dance scholarship awards. Her students have been accepted into prestigious schools such as the School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Bolshoi Ballet, Kirov Academy, Joffrey Ballet, Boston Ballet, American Academy of Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Central Florida Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Festival Ballet Providence, The Rock, Burklyn Ballet Theatre, and Walnut Hill. Many of these students have gone on to become teachers. Teri attended the American Academy of Ballet as a resident attendant for their summer study program. The following year, ABT hired her to work on staff at the summer intensive in Detroit, MI. Teri was selected as head of the dance department at Camp Walt Whitman in Piermont, NH. Terri has worked for Salem, NH School District for 20+ years, and to date, as a reading interventionist. Through the state of NH, Teri and her husband, Stephen, are certified in Emergency, Crisis & Trauma foster care. They have two adopted daughters, Ava & Rae! Teri is excited to be part of the CNDC faculty! She is honored to be able to touch the lives of so many children and believes that kids can learn anything if you excite them.
* LJ Murphy
Laura-Jean Murphy received her degree in Dance Education and Certification to instruct dance from Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill, MA. Ms. Murphy is a seasoned performer in both classical and contemporary styles. She has danced with the Northern Ballet Theatre's Youth Ensemble and other freelance dance groups in a variety of venues around New England, including SummerFun, Downtown Stroll, Choreographer's Showcase at Pinkerton Academy, and Dance Rochester. Ms. Murphy has refined her tap technique under Master tap teacher Susie Michaud and studied the technique of Lester Horton under Michelle Deane. Ms. Murphy is also a member of Touche Taps and performs under the direction of Shaina Schwartz.
Faculty of the Carlene Nazarian Dance Center
